Business School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Business School Experience: By Students, for Students [Paperback]

Katherine F. Koegler (Author), Robert H. Miller (Author), Robert Miller (Author), Katherine Loucks (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312300867 | ISBN-13: 978-0312300869 | Publication Date: August 16, 2003 | Edition: 1st

Featuring an in-depth interview with the Director of Admissions at Tuck School of Business, ranked #1 by the Wall Street Journal.

Written for students about to embark on this two-year odyssey, by students who have successfully survived business school, Business School Confidential provides a comprehensive, blow-by-blow chronological account of the complete MBA experience. Miller and Loucks have assembled a panel of recent MBA graduates from across the country, all of whom are in a prime position to offer realistic and informative advice on what business school is really like today. Together, they will walk you through the entire process - from thinking about, applying to, and choosing a business school and program, through the two-year curriculum, recruiting, summer internships, networking, and ultimately, finding the perfect job. The book also features interviews with top Fortune 500 CEOs including Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com, Larry Bossidy, former CEO of Allied Signal; Vernon R. Loucks formerly of Baxter International and currently of Segway, Jim McNerney, CEO of 3M; and Edward Whitacre, Chairman and CEO of SBC, and with Kristine Laca, the Director of Admissions of Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, currently rated as the #1 Business School in the U.S. according to the Wall Street Journal. This is truly a book no aspiring business school student should be without.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For college students thinking about applying to business school or for those in the workforce considering an additional degree, the authors give the lowdown on taking the GMAT, choosing a school, funding your education, selecting a major, preparing for exams and seeking full-time employment upon graduation. Miller (Law School Confidential) and Loucks, a recent graduate of Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management, interviewed current MBA students to get the skinny on the "business school experience." They include handy tips for admissions interviews, getting a federal loan to pay for school, determining an appropriate workload and obtaining that coveted summer internship. Although the advice on "business school etiquette" is somewhat unnecessary ("do not speak out of turn"), for the most part, this is a valuable tool for those ready to throw themselves into b-school.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Wondering what it takes to get into business school? Trying to determine whether an M.B.A. will advance your career? Uncertain about what business school is really all about, and what it will take to succeed when you get there? If you are considering business school, currently applying to business school, or presently in business school, Business School Confidential is a book you should not be without"
- Princeton Review

"Thorough... its thoughtful insights will stick with b-school candidates long afterwards." - BizEd Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (August 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312300867
• ISBN-13: 978-0312300869
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #547,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Business & Investing > Job Hunting & Careers > Business School Guides

More About the Author

Robert H. Miller graduated from Yale University in 1993 and from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was senior editor of the Law Review, in 1998. He is presently a trial lawyer at Sheehan, Phinney, Bass & Green in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he specializes in intellectual-property and commercial litigation. He is the author of the critically acclaimed grad school preparatory books Law School Confidential, Business School Confidential, and the hot new college preparatory book Campus Confidential. Dan Bissell, M.D., graduated cum laude from Middlebury College in 1993 and from the University of Colorado School of Medicine as an Adler Scholar in 2002. He recently completed his residency in emergency medicine at the Maine Medical Center. During residency, he received the Gold Foundation Award as Resident Teacher of the Year and was appointed chief resident of the emergency medicine program. He is now in practice in Portland, Oregon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars well-intentioned, April 16, 2006

By 

Sandy M. Pae "spae" (NYC, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Business School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Business School Experience: By Students, for Students (Paperback)

this book is really intended for people who are considering business school. the first half covers admissions strategy (good essays, choosing the right target school, how to craft a good application), and the second half covers, in less depth, the wind-up to the start of your full-time mba education. like other reviewers mentioned, it tells you things that are somewhat given, like "research good neighborhoods to live in near your school", "make sure your study area is well lit and quiet", and "make sure you have a high-speed internet connection". while the interviews with ceo's are interesting, the book doesn't offer too much in the way of guiding your 'game-plan' for your mba education. there's some discussion of core classes in the b-school curriculum, as well as the importance of summer internship placement and group work in classes.

overall, i think that this is a great book for anyone thinking about b-school a year or so before applying, as it provides a broad breadth of mba-related issues to consider. in terms of anyone trying to craft their 'game-plan' for their mba education, you are probably better off getting in touch with students already in your program.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, not perfect, July 15, 2005

By 

scanman7 "scanman7" (Berkeley CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Business School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Business School Experience: By Students, for Students (Paperback)

First part of book is relatively insightful, they interview key ceo's about bschool and you get a relatively balanced perspective. The review of what a bschool course load could look like and an overview of common teaching styles was helpful. Yes, this book does not spend time on or recommend part time programs. Nearly all mentors / authors are from top tier bschools.

Second half of book is mostly useless with some good nuggets of info. The second half of the book outlines stuff like "buy a desk, so you can study while at home!" and "show up to class on-time" well duh.

Good news though, this book reads very very quickly.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wish I had this before I got my MBA, September 2, 2003

By 

Anton W. Asmuth (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Business School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Business School Experience: By Students, for Students (Paperback)

My wife and I both attended top business schools (HBS and Kellogg) and we have recommended this book to numerous friends who are applying to or starting business school. It tells the reader what we wanted to know before starting school.

Great source material from many students at a wide variety of schools and written by a recent grad. Many other books just focus on getting in, but this one treats the application process as part of the larger experience from application to finding a job. I read a lot of these a few years ago, and wish this one had come out then.